Rebekah Brooks yesterday described her “shock and disgust” on learning that
the phone of the murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler had been hacked.

The former editor of the News of the World told the Commons culture, media and sport committee that she accepted full responsibility, but claimed no one in their “right mind” would sanction “listening to the voice mails of Milly Dowler”.

She said she only learned of the allegation when it was reported in the press this month.

She added that she found it “staggering to believe” that anyone at the News of the World could have authorised it.

“My instant reaction, like everybody else, was one of shock and disgust that a family who had suffered so much already, that these allegations clearly added immeasurably to their suffering,” she said.

“The first thing I did was write to Mr and Mrs Dowler with a full apology to say that we would get to the bottom of the allegations.”